Automatic musical instrument



July 7, 1931. Y c. F. STODDARD ET AL n 3,

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed, Jiu 12, 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gzwa i July 7, 1931.

C. F. STODDARD ET AL AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 7, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES F. STODDARD, OF NEW YORK, AND CLARENCE N. HICKMAN, OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN PIANO CORPORATION, OF EAST ROCHESTER, NEW-YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to automatic musical instruments and pertains more particularly to apparatus adapted to control the travel of the note sheet over the tracker bar from the spool to the take up roll in such mannerthat the perforations in the note sheet are caused to register properly with the vents in the tracker bar at all times.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which shall be adapted to cause proper registration not only of note sheets of standard width, but also of note sheets which vary somewhat from standarddue to changes in atmospheric conditions, slight errors in cutting and similar causes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means to center the note sheet spool during the rewinding operation, in order that the note sheet may be Wound evenly thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. 1

v A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a section through the tracker bar, and

. Figures 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 33 and 44 respectively of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus is illustrated for convenience as it appears when mounted in the drawer 1 of a grand piano. The said drawer may be divided by the partitions 2 and 3 to form a spool box 4 in which is mounted the take-up roll 5 and the spindles 6 and 7 for holding the note sheet roll 8. Spindles 6 and 7 are slidably mounted within the partitions 2 and 3 respectively, the spindle 6 being connected to the lever 9 which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 10, and the end of the spindle 7 engaging the lever 11 which is pivotally mounted at 12. The spring 13 causes the spindles 6 and 7 to yieldingly engage the note sheet roll 8 at all times. The

levers 9 and 11 extend outwardly to engage the rod 15, adjustable collars 16 and 17 being provided on .the rod in order that longitudinal movement of the rod may be communicated through the levers 9 and 11 to the spindles 6 and 7 in order that movement Oifthe 1928. Serial N0. 292,214.

rod to the right, for example, may cause move ment of the note sheet roll in the same direction and vice versa.

Also mounted on the rod 15 is a member 18 having recesses 19 and 20 formed therein in position such that the shoulders 19 and 20 thereof may engage the lugs 22 and 23 which are mounted on the movable leaves of the tracker pneumatics 24 and 25 respectively. The said pneumatics are normally urged to expand under the influence of the spring 26 against the stop 26, but are connected through the conduits 27 and 28 and through bleeds (not shown) to a suitable source of exhaust which tends to collapse the same. When the supply of exhaust to the pneumatics is cut off, as during the rewinding operation, the pneumatics expand under the influence of the spring 26 so that the lugs 22 and 23 engage the shoulders 19 and 20 respectively to hold the rod 15' and consequently the note sheet roll 8 in asubstantially central position. When the pneumatics are subjected to exhaust, h0wever,the lugs 22 and 23 are caused to engage the central shoulder 21 of the member 18. So long as the exhaust maintained in the two pneumatics is exactly equal, the rod 15 and the note sheet r011 will continue to be held .in a central position, but it will be apparent that if the exhaust maintained inone of the pneumatics is increased relative to that maintained in the other pneumatic, the rod 15 and the note sheetroll 8 will be caused to move to the right or left, depending upon whether the exhaust in the pneumatic 24 or the pneumatic 25 is increased.

Also connected to the pneumatics 24 and 25 are a pair of conduits 29 and 30 respectively which terminate in a pair of vents 31 and 32 'mounted on the brackets 33 and 34 respectively which may be secured to the under side of the tracker bar 35. Pivotally mounted on the brackets 33 and 34 are a pair of levers 36 and 37 respectively having ears 38 and 39 which project upwardly through slots in the tracker bar in position for engagement with the edges of the note sheet as it passes over the t acker bar between t e note heet roll and the take-up roll. Mounted on the levers 36 and 37 are a pair of resilient members 40 and 41 carrying the rod 42 having buttons 43 and 44 thereon arranged in position to cooperate with the vents 31 and 32 respectively.

It is desirable to weight the rod 42 in order to provide a certain degree of inertia which may prevent fluttering of the rod under certain conditions. Preferably this may be accomplished by making the buttons 43 and 44 of metal and somewhat larger than necessary to cover the apertures 31 and 32.

Thus if during the playing of a composition the note sheet during its travel from the note sheet roll to the take-up roll tends to wander toward the left, the ears 38 and 39 which engage the edges of the note sheet also are moved toward the left causing the button 43 to move toward the vent 31 and at the same time causing the button 44 to move away from the vent 32. Thus the flow of atmos phere into vent 31 and through the conduit 29 to the pneumatic 24 is additionally constricted by the button 43 While the flow of air through the vent 32 and through the conduit 30 to the pneumatic 25 is increased. This difference in the flow of atmosphere to the pneumatics 24 and 25 results in a difference inthe exhaust maintained therein, the exhaust in the pneumatic 24 being increased because less atmospheric air flows thereto through the conduit 29 while the exhaust in pneumatic 25 is decreased due to the increased supply of atmosphere. Accordingly, the pneumatic 24 tends to collapse and the pneumatic 25 tends to expand whereby the rod 15 and the note sheet roll 8 are moved toward the right to correct the formertendency of the note sheet to wander toward the left. If, on the other hand, the note sheet tends to wander toward the right the pneumatic 24 tends to expand and pneumatic 25 tends to collapse whereby the rod 15 and note sheet roll 8 are moved to the left.

During the rewinding operation, thesupply of exhaust to the pneumatics 24 and 25 may be cut off in the usual manner whereupon the pneumatics under the influence of spring 26 expand against the stop 26 and the lugs 22 and 23 engage the shoulders 19 and 20 to move the rod 15 to a position to centralize the roll 8 so that the note sheet may be rewound evenly thereupon.

The members 40 and 41 are of resilient spring metal in order that note sheets of different widths may be accommodated between the ears 3S and 39 and may be caused to register with the tracker bar openings in the same manner as sheets of normal width. As will be observed, a change in the width of the note sheet will change the position of the ears 38 and 39, but due to the resilient connection to the rod 42, the position of the buttons 43 and 44 relative to the vents 31 and 32 remains unchanged.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subj oined claims.

WVe claim as our invention:

In a tr cking pp ra s f r cine musical instruments, in combination, a pair of movable members mounted to engage the edges of a note sheet, a pair of pneumatics, each said pneumatic having a connection {9 a source of exhaust and a vent to atmosphere, and unitary means having resilient connection with said movable members for controlling said vents to. atmosphere.

2. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments, in combination, a pair of movable members mounted to engage the edges of a note sheet, a pair of pneumatics, each said pneumatic having a connection to a source of exhaust and a vent to atmosphere, a rod having end faces mounted to cooperate with said vents to atmosphere, and resiliep connections between said rod and each of sai movable engaging members.

3. In a trackingapparatus for automatic musical instruments, in combination, a p '3' of movable members mounted to engage" edges of a note sheet, a pair of Pneumatics, each said pneumatic having a connection, to a source of exhaust and a vent to atmosphere, a weighted rod having end faces mounted, to cooperate with said vents to atmosphere, and resilient connections between said rod arid each of said movable engaging members.

4. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments, in combination, a pair of movable members mounted to engage the edges of a note sheet, a pair of neumatics, each said pneumatic having a connection to a source of exhaust and a vent to atmosphprg, and unitary means cooperating with 0 said vents to atmosphere and compacted to said movable members to constrict more 9; less the flow of air therethrough.

5. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments, in combination, a, palr of movable members mounted to the edges of a note sheet, a pair of each said pneumatic having a connect on to a source of exhaust and a vent to atmosphggg, non-extensible means adapted to control vents to atmosphere, but mounted for mgvkment with respect thereto, and yielding c93- nections between said last named meagsp gd said movable members.

6. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments having the usual 3gb sheet roll spindles, in combination, a pair'- of movable members mounted to engage the edges of a note sheet, a pair of pneumflbieq, each said pneumatic having a connection to a soprce of exhaust and a vent to atmosphere, means connecting said pneumatics to said spindles, and unitary means having resiliept co e t n with sai mo a le memb rster controlling said vents to atmosphere to thereby change the position of said spindles.

7. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments having the usual note sheet roll spindles, in combination, a pair of oppositely disposed tracker pneumatics,

means to expand said Pneumatics, means to limit the expansion of said pneumatics, and means having connection with said spindles and engageable by said pneumatics when ex panded to hold said spindles in central posi-v tion.

8. In a tracking apparatus for automatic I musical instruments having the usual note sheet roll spindles, in combination, a pair of oppositely disposed tracker pneumatics, means to expand said pneumatics, and means having connection with said spindles and engageable by said pneumatics when expanded to hold said spindles in central position.

9. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments having the usual note sheet roll spindles, in combination, a member connected to said spindles, a stop member, and resilient means connected to said first named member and adapted to move said first named member to a fixed position with respect to said stop member to thereby centralize said spindles.

10. In a tracking apparatus for automatic musical instruments having the usual note sheet roll spindles, in combination, means for supporting a note sheet, resilient means for centralizing the said means during rewinding and pneumatic means opposed to said resilient means for moving said note sheet supporting means out of centralized position during the winding operation.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this 10th day of July, 1928.

CHARLES F. STODDARD. CLARENCE N. HIGKMAN. 

